The Best Bench Grinders Are Put to the Test

Bench grinders are nothing more than a horizontal motor with a spindle at each end. They can sharpen a woodworking chisel or a chipped lawnmower blade, restore the damaged end of a wrecking bar, or remove rust from an old weathervane. We gathered six grinders with 6-inch-diameter wheels and put them to the test. (Note: "Stock wheel test" measures how long it took us to remove 1/8-inch of mild steel using the wheels each grinder came with. "Norton wheel test" was the same, but a high-performance wheel from Norton Abrasives.)

Baldor 600E

Baldor 600E

Likes: Almost nothing we test is made in America, so it's easy to forget just how good American-made equipment really is. Then you run the Baldor and remember what this country's products once were. No other grinder can touch it. It's beautifully made, with large cast wheel housings, and it runs without vibration. It's extremely powerful for a machine its size. Baldor, take a bow.

Dislikes: This is truly an industrial grinder. Its wheels go on and stay on. But for home workshop purposes, it could use wheel covers that are easier to remove for swapping wheels. A dislike? Not really. You have to expect this when you buy industrial equipment.

Central Machinery 37822

Central Machinery 37822

Likes: Three stars in our tests is the "adequate performance" rating. But in this case, that doesn't tell the whole story. Note that CM's machine did three times better in our time trials merely by swapping in a Norton wheel. We also liked its gooseneck lamp and the wheel covers that go easily off and on. If you're a thrifty tool shopper looking for a light-duty grinder, this machine could be a good fit.

Dislikes: If there is any machine that should arrive from the factory without sharp edges, it's a grinder. Not so this machine. Better deburring on its base is called for.